Monster Sampler Quilt!

I have a quilt finish and it is only 11th January! In fact I finished this a week ago but as it’s for a gift I have been waiting to post about it.

This is a very long running WIP which I can trace back (thanks to this wonderful blog archive) to the summer of 2015.  I wrote all about it in this post here. I’ve just read back through it and have noted my closing comment ‘as soon as I get back I know I will be right back on to this project!’. However it has sat folded up at the bottom of a basket ever since (good intentions and all that!)

Here’s what the WIP looked when I put it away back in 2015.  It’s made up of lots of sample blocks from my Modern Sampler Quilt evening class, which by then I had taught a few times (therefore accumulating quite a few blocks).  I added in some test blocks from commissions and put the whole thing together until it was this size.

I think I had initially thought I could make a quick charity quilt with this, but as the quilt top emerged I fell more and more in love with it until I realised I wanted to keep this one, as it holds all these class and quilt memories.  So I decided I would add to it when I had more orphan blocks and then hand quilt it as a super duper special quilt for me!

It was at this stage that the name Monster Sampler Quilt attached itself (this was how I referred to it in my WIP lists), and that name has stuck.

The blocks are a real history of the last 7 years of teaching and really show how much my piecing and stitching has improved in that time! For instance I am sure when I made that flower garland block, above left, I though my needle-turn applique technique was pretty perfect, however now when I compare it to more recent pieces, like the flower vase beside it, and I’m quite shocked! It just shows how much we continually improve with practice.

The original top had a couple of test blocks for a house table runner I made for the 50 Fat Quarter Makes book, and they were my least favourite pieces as I hadn’t used my best fabric.  But they did offer these blank spaces where I’ve been able to embroider a little personalised message.

My best friend’s son is getting married today after leaving for America to start a new life with his lovely lady.   I really wanted to send a quilt out for them with his mum and I knew this could be the perfect quilt for them, they are both artistic and quite bohemian and I thought they would ‘get it’.

I know I had planned to make this for myself but 4 years on I’ve had a change of heart as the quilts are really piling up here at home and in the studio! Realistically I don’t need any more as I am always going to be making new ones. I’m okay about parting with it now, as long as it goes to someone close to me who I think will appreciate it.

But when I got it back out of storage I realised it wasn’t quite big enough. That’s okay though as I have a big pile of extra class samples now!

So I added a bottom row and one to the left and it is now a good size of around 70 x 80 inches. The new blocks represent a lot of my most recent popular classes like New York Beauty, Mid-Centuty Modern and Storm at Sea (part of my Mystery Quilt Course) plus test blocks for the Improv Jugs and Dishes quilts.  I also added a wee appliqued heart to the centre of the other house block.

I pieced the back with left over yardage from recent quilts, mainly Riley Blake vintage style designs (even more ‘using stuff up’!)

I then used my new favourite FMQ pattern, which I call ‘interlocking rainbows’ (or maybe everyone calls it that? I tend to do my own thing with FMQ but I’m sure others have done this or similar!). I quilted using Aurifil 50wt in my favourite yellow number 5015.

That crazy Dresden above is one of my favourite blocks from the quilt, it’s called Dresden Village and is from my Modern Sampler Quilt Course. I have revived this course for the new year and have a course starting in a few weeks.  There are still a couple of places left for those local peeps that might be interested. Check it out here.

So the Monster Sampler Quilt is finally finished and with it’s new owners by now. And I’m very happy that instead of languishing, unloved at the bottom of a storage basket it has been brought to life and will now go on to give, pleasure, warmth and comfort for many years to come.